https://www.pinterest.com.au/pin/317292736227681540/

With the war not progressing the way they desired, many in the horde began to question the authority and power of High Shaman Karsog. The failures of his chosen Warlord Darkoza, seen as a sign of weakness that could not be excused.

And whilst Darkoza still had a great deal of support among the new Orcish Warlords, the Shamans who held sway over many matters, had a proportion of influence of their own, and there were none among them who would willing support Darkoza any longer.

Unfortunately deposing a High Shaman, and Warlord could mean division in the Warhordes, and a prolonged civil war that could leave them weak before their many enemies, so it was decided they had to be dealt with by other means.

Seeking the aid of Lord Sezarath to help guide their path, Harthan one of the Shamans was given a vision of an island filled with mages devoted to the worship of demons. There they would find the aid they sought.

Contacted in the dead of night by agents of Lord Sezarath, the dark mages appeared out of nowhere wrapped in robes of pure darkness. Red eyes glowing in the night.

Striking an alliance between the two of them, the Dark Mages agreed to join the Orcs in exchange for souls to harvest, and by morning Karsog, and Darkoza were dead.

Raised up to High Shaman, Harthan's first command was to recall the remaining WarHordes in the field, and assign Warlord Magorbark as leader of the WarHordes, giving him the title of Warleader.

Having returned with much of his strength intact, Magorbark quickly formulated a new plan to end the war, and put an end to the interference of the Minotaurs.

The plan was simple, since the Armies of Light would directly oppose them at every turn, their kingdoms, lands, and people must be the first to fall. A pronged battle in Caldasher would only favor their enemy, and give them more time to prepare for their coming.

Several WarHordes would remain behind to continue the battle for Caldasher, but the main host would march north towards the Land of Dreams.

Now while the Orcs were skilled at battle, they were not boat builders so they could not travel by sea, not while Minotaur fleets patrolled the waters in strength. And the swamplands of Tarstone were little better as an option. Fortunately however there was a third option, The Towers of the Abaddon, ancient tools created long ago to act as transport for Armies.

Given access to the Towers by their new allies, Warlord Magrobark would be able to teleport his considerable forces to the Land of Dreams, piece by piece, since the Dark Mage Faction they were allied to, only had three Towers in their possession. (Each Tower can roughly hold five thousand each.)

This meant they had to pick a location they could easily secure, and send their best fighters in the vanguard to clear a path for the rest of the Warhost.

This honor was given to the Stone Skins, and Berserkers, warriors who'd proven themselves countless times in battle, and while there were some who argued that the Iron Skins should have been sent first, all agreed they did not have the numbers to hold their ground, and would take up too much room.

A new phase of war was coming, and Armies of Light were would be ill prepared to meet it.

***

The Alliance between the Dark Mages, and Orcs marked another turning point in the war, their magic, combined with the Orcs prowess in battle, gave them a distinctive advantage in the field, however not all Dark Mages were allied to the Orcs.

The Dark Mages of Bloodtides were divided into half a dozen factions, each of whom worshiped differing demons as gods, and had their own set of particular beliefs, and skills that made them unique to each other.

Often the Dark Mages would wage war against one another, destroying factions, and birthing new factions. But more often than not, the Dark Mages would work their influence upon the world, using agents and intermediaries to fight their battles. Not that their own armies were not impressive.

Able to enslave races to their will, the Dark Mages trained, and bred the greatest warriors of Coroleya, the most powerful of which were the Demon Blades, black armor clad warriors given blades that could shoot black flames. There were also the Shadow Hunters, elite assassins able to strike from the shadows and vanish into smoke. And lastly the Dragon Guard, battle hardened mages taught the ways of both blade, and magic. Defenders of the island, they are veterans of many battles.